READY TO DO HIS WILL

 

There is a fascinating contrast in our Lord’s ministry witnessed in John 14. On the one hand, the multitudes are seeking His ministry and He serves them, while later He sends them away and seeks solitude!  From telling the disciples, “They do not need to go away,” we read a short time later that “He sent them away.”

God is limitless, but humans have their limitations. Christ was God Incarnate and able thus to multiply the small supply of loaves and fish to feed thousands, while also needing to withdraw for rest and to hear from His Father. That time of prayer was our Lord’s means of receiving new direction and replenished power for His ministry. In so doing, Jesus shows us how man is meant to live—taking in that we might give out. 

All of us can sympathize with the disciples when they felt their resources inadequate for the demands. They told Jesus to send the masses away. Yet, when we are in the will of God, He will always supply us with what we need to do the work. There is no excuse for laziness in Christian service. When we reach the point of exasperation, we have not necessarily come to the point of exhaustion. Little is much, when God is in it.  You may have a little more gas in the tank when the needle rests on empty.

Yet, there will come a time that the ministry must be set aside that we may be refreshed. Praying alone is not wasting time, but is making the best use of our time. While it is true that sometimes we face a challenging time and know what we need to do, yet refuse to do it for how costly it is—making the excuse, “Let me pray about it.”  That sounds spiritual, but may be cowardice. That was not the case for Jesus. He had reached His limit for the day and now it was time for solitude. 

The key whether immersed in service or isolated in supplication is to be in the will of God. The old hymn stated it:

1 Ready to suffer grief or pain,
Ready to stand the test;
Ready to stay at home and send
Others if He sees best.

Refrain:
Ready to go, ready to stay,
Ready my place to fill;
Ready for service lowly or great,
Ready to do His will.

2 Ready to go, ready to bear,
Ready to watch and pray;
Ready to stand aside and give
Till He shall clear the way. [Refrain]

3 Ready to speak, ready to think,
Ready with heart and mind;
Ready to stand where He sees fit,
Ready His will to find. [Refrain]

4 Ready to speak, ready to warn,
Ready o’er souls to yearn;
Ready in life or ready in death,
Ready for His return. [Refrain] (lyrics by A.C. Palmer)

Jesus would come down from the mountain of prayer and go to His disciples as they were toiling in storm-tossed seas. He was ready. Are you?

THE POWER OF UNBELIEF

As I read these sobering words I thought how many times God might have used me in a greater way had I only trusted Him more. Pastors may be struggling to lead their flock forward because either they or their congregation just do not trust God. Our preaching on faith will have little impact if our practice of faith is absent. Lord, increase our faith!

THE PROCLAMATION OF THE PREACHER

 

When a preacher speaks—whether in the pulpit or outside it—his words convey not only the content of Scripture, but of his own heart. Jesus was addressing a group of “preachers,” called Pharisees. They were twisting truth to build their own kingdom rather than the kingdom of God, and Christ called them a “brood of vipers!”  They were the spawn of the old Serpent, the Devil.  Let us explore further the Lord’s message in Matthew 12:33-37.

Consider THE POTENTIALITY OF OUR SPEECH.  “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit,” (v.33).  Our words have such potential for help or harm. The fruit that our words produce will be good or bad, but never neutral. Faithfulness to the Scriptures will yield fruitfulness in the saints. Likewise, if our message is perverse, the fruit will be poisonous!  It is poison for it contains the venom of the Serpent.

There is also THE TRANSPARENCY IN OUR SPEECH.  “You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.” (v.34-35).  The fruit from our sermons will be evil or good depending on the root of our speech. What we say is a window into our soul. There is a transparency when we speak. When a preacher fills his heart with the study of and submission to the Scriptures, there will be treasure to give to those in the congregation. Likewise, if he is Biblically bankrupt in content and conduct, he will impoverish his audience.

Weigh THE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR OUR SPEECH. “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (v.36-37). What a serious and searching reality!  Those who sit in the audience will evaluate our sermons. It is possible to gather a great throng by telling them what they want to hear in appealing to their carnal passions. Likewise, we can build up people in the faith by our fearless and faithful preaching of Scripture. This may or may not increase the numbers of hearers, but is assured to increase the faith of those who receive the Word, and for that we will give account at the Judgment Seat.  Whatever sentence the congregation passes on our preaching, what ultimately matters is the sentence that Christ proclaims about our preaching!